Birthday on Friday, want to buy myself a 30" high-res monitor, can't decide on which

B

bagelrain

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Joined
Apr 28, 2012
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Hello everyone!

So, I've been wanting a 30" monitor for a while. I'm getting antsy, but I don't know whether to wait for u3013 or whether to get a u3011 now, or whether there are better options out there (like the zr30w)

Requirement: 2560x1600, not korean
Preferences: glossy, LED, tempered glass

If you guys think I should wait for the u3013 in March, that's cool too.
 
Wait until 2013, current models are basically the same as 30" displays released in 2007 in terms of image quality=rip off...and there aren't any glossy 30", they all use a grainy matte coating.
 
You will have a hell of a time wayting for a non-korean 30".
Pretty much all 30" use korean panels AND the best ones also use koreans PCBs instead of chinese PCBs.
If you mean Dell, HP or Apple, well they are just korean panels with chinese or koreans PCBs and a "100% american" brand for price gouging.

I have just received a Benq BL2400 and it goes head and shoulders above my Apple 30" in pretty much all important meters besides resolution:
- no wide color gamut backlight, hence no color messing up.
- amazing black levels
- triple the contrast
- once calibrated has better color acuraccy. BTW the apple 30" has no OSD to adjust color fom the hardware side, only software patching up workarounds
-the new firmware use the "premium" AMA (overdrive) setting that the new GW2450 uses, that almost solves the motion blur and response time problem of old VAs.
-I dont now how benq pulled this but the BL2400 has at most 20ms of total input lag compared to a CRT, and the GW2450 around 6ms
-The LED backlight on the Benq makes the monitor generate way less heat than the gigantic 30"CCFL.
-Out of box support for pivoting and displayport means that i can get 4 of these babys working in tandem for the price currently charged on 30"

I used to be an IPS guy as the Apple 30' put my old VA-based Acer 2616w to shame, but the Benq BL2400 runs circles around the 30"on pretty much any metric relevant to me besides resolution. And in the USA the GW2450 ( no pivot, no displayport) has hoving around the USD 179 mark ( USD125 on sales) for months.
AMA VA have really advanced to a point that most IPS lovers should reconsider their preferences. And if AU optronics decides to joind the quadHD/ultraHD bandwagon the korean monitors are going to face competition in price, image quality and features.
 
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Happy Birthday.

I like the U3011. Good time to pick one up with the price drop. Or you can wait for the new model and pay more, but I doubt it will offer anything over the U3011 that's worth the premium. Not to mention it will be Rev 1 of a new model, and likely to have some bugs.
 
geok1ng said:
I have just received a Benq BL2400 and it goes head and shoulders above my Apple 30" in pretty much all important meters besides resolution
Click to expand...

Why are you comparing a 24" display to a 30"? Your post doesn't meet his requirements: 2560x1600

OP: I'm in the same boat as you, ready to buy. Personally, I've decided to wait for the new panels.
 
There are no 30" panels with LED backlighting, there are no 30" panels with glossy displays, and there are no 30" displays with tempered glass. Just get an Apple Cinema Display.
 
geok1ng said:
You will have a hell of a time wayting for a non-korean 30".
Pretty much all 30" use korean panels AND the best ones also use koreans PCBs instead of chinese PCBs.
If you mean Dell, HP or Apple, well they are just korean panels with chinese or koreans PCBs and a "100% american" brand for price gouging.

I have just received a Benq BL2400 and it goes head and shoulders above my Apple 30" in pretty much all important meters besides resolution:
- no wide color gamut backlight, hence no color messing up.
- amazing black levels
- triple the contrast
- once calibrated has better color acuraccy. BTW the apple 30" has no OSD to adjust color fom the hardware side, only software patching up workarounds
-the new firmware use the "premium" AMA (overdrive) setting that the new GW2450 uses, that almost solves the motion blur and response time problem of old VAs.
-I dont now how benq pulled this but the BL2400 has at most 20ms of total input lag compared to a CRT, and the GW2450 around 6ms
-The LED backlight on the Benq makes the monitor generate way less heat than the gigantic 30"CCFL.
-Out of box support for pivoting and displayport means that i can get 4 of these babys working in tandem for the price currently charged on 30"

I used to be an IPS guy as the Apple 30' put my old VA-based Acer 2616w to shame, but the Benq BL2400 runs circles around the 30"on pretty much any metric relevant to me besides resolution. And in the USA the GW2450 ( no pivot, no displayport) has hoving around the USD 179 mark ( USD125 on sales) for months.
AMA VA have really advanced to a point that most IPS lovers should reconsider their preferences. And if AU optronics decides to joind the quadHD/ultraHD bandwagon the korean monitors are going to face competition in price, image quality and features.
Click to expand...

Yes, that is absolutely correct.
It is going to take some time tho for it to become a common knowledge, that modern 1080p AMVA panels pwnz every 1440p and 1600p currently on the market in every possible way except the resolution numbers (not image quality) and viewing angles.
The only kind of monitors that can probably rival the AMVA panels are those 120hz 1440p korean monitors.
 
Hey everyone, thanks for the responses.

I have the u2311h right now. In terms of screen area, I feel like a 27" monitor would be too lateral to be considered worth the cost, even if that means having a lower PPI and/or waiting a few months.

geok1ng, you totally misinterpreted what I mean by non-korean. Let me rephrase, just for you. I want an A+ panel, not an A- panel. By non-korean, I meant not Achieva, not Crossover, etc.

I guess there really is non consensus, huh? Price drops on the u3011 are tempting, but waiting for the u3013 also sounds good. If only the current apple display came in 30", I'd totally get that!
 
bagelrain said:
I have the u2311h right now. In terms of screen area, I feel like a 27" monitor would be too lateral...
Click to expand...
going from anything 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 is a -huge- difference. The extra vertical from 1440 -> 1600 is nice, but not nearly as big a deal as the jump from 1080 -> 1440. When you could have 2 or 3 of the cheap 27"s for the price of one 30", I just don't see the 30 as having as much value. Also keep in mind you get wide-gamut color on the 30" Dell and HP - which really isn't a good thing for most users imho.

get yourself a cheap 27" now, enjoy it and sell it if a compelling 30" comes out next year.
 
austinpike said:
going from anything 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 is a -huge- difference. The extra vertical from 1440 -> 1600 is nice, but not nearly as big a deal as the jump from 1080 -> 1440. When you could have 2 or 3 of the cheap 27"s for the price of one 30", I just don't see the 30 as having as much value. Also keep in mind you get wide-gamut color on the 30" Dell and HP - which really isn't a good thing for most users imho.

get yourself a cheap 27" now, enjoy it and sell it if a compelling 30" comes out next year.
Click to expand...

Mostly this- but if you must have a 30", the HP ZR30w has around half the input lag. OSD functionality is through software that controls the panel. Sparkle-mongers beware, though it's the same panel with the same coating as on the U3011, of which I have two on my desk at work to stare at.
 
I went from24" 1920*1200 to 27" 2560*1440. That is the way to go. I currently have 3 of them (Nixeus Vue). The current price is $499 on Amazon with an American warranty, no shipping back to Korea should something go wrong. These are Grade A LG panels also .
 
I know the 27" monitors are not only great, but they're also a great deal.

Here's why I must get a 30" monitor: I'll obsess if I don't. If I have a 27" monitor, I'll be eyeing 30" monitors until I fold and buy one. I don't wan't to throw away 300+ dollars on a monitor that, although I'll love, won't satisfy me.

It's not the best quality trait, but it's who I am.
 
bagelrain said:
I know the 27" monitors are not only great, but they're also a great deal.

Here's why I must get a 30" monitor: I'll obsess if I don't. If I have a 27" monitor, I'll be eyeing 30" monitors until I fold and buy one. I don't wan't to throw away 300+ dollars on a monitor that, although I'll love, won't satisfy me.

It's not the best quality trait, but it's who I am.
Click to expand...

At least you can admit it! :D
 
bagel, I know what you mean. When I was in college I have always dreamed of having a 30" 2560x1600 monitor. Buying a 27", a 2560x1440, or an AMVA panel might be a great deal and it might save you a bunch of money but if this is what you want and you got money to burn. Fucking buy it.
 
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